The History Of Herodotus Volume 1 of 2

Page: 52

145. Upon these they laid this penalty: but as for the Ionians, I think
that the reason why they made of themselves twelve cities and would not
receive any more into their body, was because when they dwelt in
Peloponnesus there were of them twelve divisions, just as now there are
twelve divisions of the Achaians who drove the Ionians out: for first,
(beginning from the side of Sikyon) comes Pellene, then Aigeira and Aigai,
in which last is the river Crathis with a perpetual flow (whence the river
of the same name in Italy received its name), and Bura and Helike, to
which the Ionians fled for refuge when they were worsted by the Achaians
in fight, and Aigion and Rhypes and Patreis and Phareis and Olenos, where
is the great river Peiros, and Dyme and Tritaieis, of which the last alone
has an inland position. 151 These form now twelve divisions of the
Achaians, and in former times they were divisions of the Ionians.

146. For this reason then the Ionians also made for themselves twelve
cities; for at any rate to say that these are any more Ionians than the
other Ionians, or have at all a nobler descent, is mere folly, considering
that a large part of them are Abantians from Euboea, who have no share
even in the name of Ionia, and Minyai of Orchomenos have been mingled with
them, and Cadmeians and Dryopians and Phokians who seceded from their
native State and Molossians and Pelasgians of Arcadia and Dorians of
Epidauros and many other races have been mingled with them; and those of
them who set forth to their settlements from the City Hall of Athens and
who esteem themselves the most noble by descent of the Ionians, these, I
say, brought no women with them to their settlement, but took Carian
women, whose parents they slew: and on account of this slaughter these
women laid down for themselves a rule, imposing oaths on one another, and
handed it on to their daughters, that they should never eat with their
husbands, nor should a wife call her own husband by name, for this reason,
because the Ionians had slain their fathers and husbands and children and
then having done this had them to wife. This happened at Miletos.

147. Moreover some of them set Lykian kings over them, descendants of
Glaucos and Hippolochos, while others were ruled by Cauconians of Pylos,
descendants of Codros the son of Melanthos, and others again by princes of
the two races combined. Since however these hold on to the name more than
the other Ionians, let them be called, if they will, the Ionians of truly
pure descent; but in fact all are Ionians who have their descent from
Athens and who keep the feast of Apaturia; and this all keep except the
men of Ephesos and Colophon: for these alone of all the Ionians do not
keep the Apaturia, and that on the ground of some murder committed.

148. Now the Panionion is a sacred place on the north side of Mycale, set
apart by common agreement of the Ionians for Poseidon of Helike 152;
and this Mycale is a promontory of the mainland running out Westwards
towards Samos, where the Ionians gathering together from their cities used
to hold a festival which they called the Panionia. (And not only the
feasts of the Ionians but also those of all the Hellenes equally are
subject to this rule, that their names all end in the same letter, just
like the names of the Persians.) 153